


Unusual Gifts

by ryanglitter



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25725307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryanglitter/pseuds/ryanglitter
Summary: It's skekEkt and skekAyuk's four hundred trine anniversary together, and skekEkt has a special gift for his beloved ♥For Chaifootsteps, a wonderful friend and a fantastic writer!
Relationships: skekAyuk/skekEkt (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	Unusual Gifts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chaifootsteps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaifootsteps/gifts).



> And speaking of anniversary fics, if you enjoy this one please do go and check out "Julipart cake" by Kiwi_Strawberry_Banana, it's a very sweet and lovely piece of writing!
> 
> Oh and if you want to read a hidden scene from this story, skekMal wrote it for me and it's so wonderful, exactly how I imagined!

On the anniversary of their first hundred trine as a couple, skekEkt had gifted skekAyuk the most beautiful pair of oven mittens that Thra had ever seen, and in turn he was presented with a delicious batch of crawlie cookies in a lovely box in which he now kept assorted sewing supplies. On their second hundred trine anniversary, skekEkt offered his dear Gourmand an apron, decorated with a tiled pattern of stylized crawlies, and he received a pink layered cake, so beautifully ornated that he almost wished to leave it untouched. On their third hundred trine anniversary, skekEkt made his lover a sheer, deep sea blue under-robe, which he was eager to wear for him on the spot, and skekAyuk had assembled an impressive platter of rare fruit and cream, which they quickly proceeded to lick off each other’s fingers. 

And now, the morning that would soon come would mark their fourth hundred trine anniversary, and skekEkt had planned to do something … different. It was a decision he had made quite a while ago, and he had gone through a great deal of stress to obtain that which he needed, or at the very least a promise of it. He had done his part, and everything was ready – or it should be, he thought, if his secret helper was to be trusted... and if he was not, then… may Thra help all Skeksis.

It was going to be a long, sleepless night for the Ornamentalist. First, he waited for his beloved to fall asleep, and then he snuck out of the lavish bed that the two of them shared, put on a proper night robe, and tiptoed to his workshop. From a locked chest he retrieved a large and heavy package. 

SkekEkt had not allowed anyone to see it, not even skekAyuk. Especially not skekAyuk. He had wondered about this secret project of his, and skekEkt would always simply wink and ask him to be patient. As a habit, they both did prepare their anniversary gifts unum in advance; the Ornamentalist’s craft was detailed and precise and required plenty of patience, and the Gourmand often needed to wait for caravans to transport rare ingredients to the Castle from distant parts of Thra. This project, however, took an entire trine for skekEkt to make. It was something unlike anything he had ever created before, and if all things went well… skekEkt would never have to lay eyes on it ever again, and skekAyuk would never have to see it at all.

With the package in his arms, skekEkt went down the multitude of stairs that led to the ground level of the Castle, where the kitchens were. They were empty at these nightly hours, and the sound of skekEkt’s clawed feet on the cold hard floor seemed so loud that it could have woken Mother Aughra.

He went to the balcony and waited. Not for long. Soon his conspirator arrived, and on his shoulders he carried a bundle of his own, which he carried inside and lay on the table, in exchange for the Ornamentalist’s hard, secret work. He left as quickly as he came, without any pleasantries or words of gratitude, and with him he took a heavy weight off skekEkt’s mind. 

*

Skeksis did not dream, and yet, somehow, skekEkt could hear his lover’s voice, both distant and near, in the liminal space between night and dawn. 

“SkekEkt!” he could hear the Gourmand say, and then he felt his hands upon his shoulders – was that part of the dream too? “Wake up, my love! What are you doing here?”

Then the Ornamentalist awoke with a start. The first thing he saw was a soft, round, gorgeous face – the very picture of concern. Why did he look so concerned? Where were they? Did it even matter, as long as they were together? 

“Finally, my love, you’re awake! Can you stand? Here, let me help you up! Oh, skekEkt! Tell me, please, why were you sleeping in front of the kitchen door? What happened?”

“Oh, because…” he said, with a nervous giggle, as soon as he was back on his feet. “Well, because! Because… my anniversary gift for you is in there, and I did not want you to go in and see it without me!”

SkekAyuk sighed, closing his eyes, and shook his head gently, and then he pulled skekEkt into a tight, loving embrace. SkekEkt could have fallen asleep right then and there, and no doubt that skekAyuk would carry him back to their bedchamber and tuck him in, oh, how lovely it would be, but right now that would simply not do. 

“Darling, my sweetest… this time my gift is a bit, well, unusual. It’s actually not something I created myself. I do confess that I am slightly nervous! … I think… I think need a moment.”

“… Oh!”, the Gourmand said, facing him again, taking his hands. “What a coincidence, heheh! I have something unusual for you too! Can I go first then, my love? I happen to have mine right here, in my pocket!”

SkekEkt immediately began to jump on the spot, holding his darling’s hands, and forgot all about his exhaustion and his nervousness. SkekAyuk joined him in his excitement, doing a little dance and chuckling with him. It was moments like these when skekEkt found himself wondering if anyone in the whole universe could ever love another person more than he loved skekAyuk. 

The Gourmand produced a closed seashell from his pocket, white all over and lined with gold around the edge, about the size of his outstretched palm. SkekEkt gasped and covered his beak, tilting his head, ready to burst into tears of joy. 

“Oh, oh, skekAyuk! It’s splendid! It’s marvelous, oh how I ado—”

The Gourmand chuckled and winked as he opened it, and the Ornamentalist positively shrieked when he saw what was inside: a golden ring which held in its talons the largest, most iridescent, most incredible pearl that skekEkt had ever seen – or anyone, no doubt, he thought. All he could do was smile at it, and then at his lover, and then back at the ring.

“Happy anniversary, my love”, skekAyuk said, taking skekEkt’s hand, and gently slid the ring on his finger.

“Oh… how magnificent it is, my darling! Oh!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I shall cherish it forever and ever and ever!”

He cupped skekAyuk’s face and rewarded him with a soft, loving beak rub, and then he pressed his forehead to his. 

“I was thinking”, the Gourmand said. “I’ve always given you edible gifts. I thought I would switch it up and offer you something that stays.”

“I’ve kept the cookie box!”

“That doesn’t count. I wasn’t sure that you would.”

“Of course I did! You chose it for _me_!”

“Anyway, the ring was a bit of a gamble, heh. I’m thrilled that you like it!”

“Like it? I love it! And I love _you_!”

“I love you too, crawlie dumpling!”

SkekEkt stepped back from the embrace, but only because he too had a gift to offer, and his heart was pounding like a starved peeper beetle in a jar. He covered skekAyuk’s eyes with his palms as they entered the kitchen together; it was still empty, for he had secretly ordered all kitchen Podlings to keep out until they were called. 

“Alright, my darling, you can look now!”

When skekAyuk set eyes on the carcass that was lying on the table, he simply stood there with his beak open, blinking in awe, clutching his hands to his heart.

“Oh… oh… is that… what _is_ that?”

It was a hooved creature, large and powerful, its thick, dusky lilac skin adorned with rosy, translucent crystals. 

“SkekMal tried to tell me, but it was a Dousan word, and I forgot it as soon as I heard it.”

“SkekMal?!”

“He took the creature’s head. I hope that is alright with you, my love!”

“I…” skekAyuk chuckled in disbelief. “I didn’t know that such creatures even exist! Ooh! Ooh! I cannot wait to find out how they taste! Oh, skekEkt… thank you, so so much! But… how? How did you persuade skekMal to do this? The last time I asked him to hunt something for me to cook, just like he used to when we were new, he laughed and told me to go catch my own prey.”

The Ornamentalist tilted his head and smiled awkwardly. 

“Oh, I wasn’t really expecting that he would accept to do this… but I tried anyway, hoping that he might yet need me to make something for him in return.”

“Ahhh, so that’s what you’ve been working on for so many unum! What kind of clothing was it? I can’t wait to see him wear it next time he visits!”

“Actually”, skekEkt began, with a nervous squeak to his voice. “It wasn’t for him…”

“Then… who was it for???”

“I shall tell you, darling, but… I think you should sit.”

*

Meanwhile, at the foot of a majestic tree on top of a mountain, urVa, the Archer, awoke from his slumber. Near him lay a package, its contents wrapped neatly in a thick blanket and tied with a good, reliable rope. The package smelled clean and vaguely floral. He unwrapped it, and inside he found a set of… Skeksis robes? … No, actually, they seemed to look like they fit … him. Leather, linen, silk, everything seemed quite sturdy and practical, exactly the opposite of what urUtt had made for him, who had counted on him remaining among his kind instead of roaming the wilds chasing after skekMal. 

… _skekMal_. 

SkekMal… got the Ornamentalist… to make this? For him?

He looked around, but he was alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ♥


End file.
